Supporters: Democratic Candidates May Stop By

August 25, 1992|By DAVID LERMAN Daily Press

Democratic leaders say they expect either Bill Clinton or running mate Al Gore to visit Virginia sometime this fall and wage an uphill battle for a state that has voted Republican in presidential contests since 1968.

After watching Democratic presidential candidates get slaughtered in Virginia since Lyndon Johnson carried the state against Barry Goldwater in 1964, district leaders say the Clinton campaign is committed to waging a real fight here, although its strength and size have yet to be determined.

"They assured us they're going to contest the election in Virginia," said Kenneth V. Geroe, the Democratic chairman of the 2nd Congressional District, which includes Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Geroe, who served as a Clinton delegate at the Democratic National Convention in New York, said, "I think we'll see at least one member of the ticket appear in Virginia at some point."

John McGlennon, party chairman of the 1st District, which includes much of the Peninsula, said, "They have shown considerable interest in what we can put together here. We are still in the process of trying to make the case that Virginia should be a priority. But in past presidential elections, they had already ruled us out at this point, so I regard this positively."

With only 13 electoral votes at stake and a long history of Republican victories, Geroe conceded Virginia is an unlikely priority for the Clinton camp. That is particularly true this year, when many analysts and campaign workers say the race could be decided in a few heavily populated industrial states in the Midwest.

But at the same time, the Clinton campaign has not written off Virginia, Geroe said. Unlike Michael Dukakis in 1988, Clinton has two paid staffers organizing his campaign in Virginia, Geroe said.

Joe Graupensperger, who took office this month as Clinton's Virginia campaign director, said, "I think we're waging a real fight. They're committing a lot more resources than they would for a state they don't have a chance in. We've had a lot of enthusiasm for Clinton here and Gore adds a lot to the ticket for us."

Graupensperger said the two are scheduled to attend a Sept. 12 fund-raiser in Middleburg.